Music Research

Chapter 2
Khayal & Gharana:

Evolution &
Development
2.0 Khayal: Introduction
Khayal, the Principal Classical Form of modern times is a unique and rich form of
Hindustani Classical Music, which embodies the gravity of the Dhruvapada, the
romanticism of the Thumri and the lyricism of the lighter forms like Dadra and even
Ghazal. Khayal; a classico-romantic form eschewed some off the redundant rigidities of
the Dhruvapada and imbibed some of the aesthetic excellences of the Thumri. Khayal is a
highly specialized art form, whose composition today is quite intricate in spite of the vast
latitude it enjoys in comparison with the Dhruvapada. There are several steps in its
elaboration; each of these steps is meant to emphasize a specific point of aesthetic and
musical excellence. Having rich classical background, Alaps, Various Tanas, Bol-Tanas,
Various Ghamaks, Wide variety of rhythmic patterns and creative variations of the words
of the composition with appropriate combinations of notes, add significant sentimental
enrichment to it. Khayal thus has something interesting and attractive to offer to almost
every variety of listeners. Dhruvapada was a purely classical form of music whereas the
Khayal was a classic-romantic form which incorporated the classicism of the Dhruvapada
and the romanticism of the Thumri. Khayal abstained from using redundant rigidities of
the Dhruvapada and accepted some of the aesthetic excellences of the Thumri1. Khayal
chose Sadharni Shaili for its structure. It means that Khayal incorporated into itself the
unique properties of all Gayan Shailies. These also included various Ghamaks like Khatka,
Murki, Meend, Kampan, and Andolan. This resulted in a unique structure and aesthetic of
Khayal2.
2.1 Meaning of Khayal

Khayal is believed to be an Arabic term, meaning thought, imagination, Fancy, ideation,
imaginative conception, respect or understanding. The word Khayal means an idea, whim,
imagination or Kalpana3. This word or term came to India with the Persian Language.
Khayal implies the idea of some sort of song or verse which is imaginative and conceptual
in its nature or an execution at will. In fact, the term Khayal suggests the ideas of
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.42

2 Singh, J, Khayal aur uska Vikas, Nibandh Sangeet, p.49
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imagination and imaginative composition and from the meaning it can further be inferred
that the Khayal is imaginative in conception, artistic and decorative in execution and
romantic in appeal. Its theme or subject-matter is interpretative, and its form and method
of execution are classic-romantic. In comparison to Dhruvapada Prabandha type of songs,
the Khayal Prabandha is imaginative and creative, whereas Dhruvapada is concentrative,
contemplative and majestic1. In his book Khayal Gayan Shaili Viksit Ayaam, Dr. Satyavati
Sharma said, “We can say that rendering alap while being creative but at the same time
following the rules of the Raga and establishing the structure of the Raga is the essence of
Khayal singing. According to Mr. O. Goswami: “Khayal is called so as it is imaginative in
nature both in regard to its subject matter and its interpretation2.
2.2 Evolution of Khayal
There are a lot of opinions about the origin of khayal. There is no single opinion among
the music experts about its origin, development and circumstances. The main reason behind
it is the absence of any information about Khayal music in the medieval texts although its
origin occurred in this time period only3. Eminent scholar Vim Wan der Meer in his book
‘Hindustani Music in the 20th Century’ wrote, “If we do a historical analysis about the
origin of khayal, it is observed that in18th century Khayal was quite similar to Dhrupad in
many ways. This style of Khayal was considered as a new type of presentation of Dhrupad
sung by Sadarang4. Mr. Viney Chandra Maudgill wrote in his paper ‘Evolution of Khayal’,
“The Khayal of today, though based on Dhrupada, was a revolt against the Dhrupada itself
which was becoming too rigid, mechanical and losing its aesthetic appeal5.”
This thing is quite clear that the first attempt to create a serious form of Khayal was
based on the Dhruvpada Shaili. It was simple in structure and later on it was developed in
various ways and its ornamentation was done6. Some people believe that Khayal originated
from the Gitis prevalent in the Ancient times. Thakur Jaideva Singh wrote in his essay
1 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.176

2 Sharma, S, Khayal Gayan Shaili Viksit Ayaam, p.77
4 Sharma, L, Bhartiye Sangeet Ki Aanveshnatmak Sameeksha, p.201
6 Chakrabourty, H.C, Khayal Ka Vikas, Nibandh Sangeet, p.41
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‘Khayal ka Vikas’ that “Khayal-recital is an Indian art form in its entirety. If we observe
the compositions while keeping the artists related to Indian music in mind, we find that
they have been developed specially based on the Sadharani Shaili and special emphasis
was given to Binna shaili. Rupkalapti is followed in this singing style1. In the medieval
period Rupkalapti singing provided the Khayal singers with independent elaboration of
Swaras and lyrics. According to Mr. Viney Chandra Maudgill Khayal-singing is just an
evolved form of Rupkalapti: “Khayal of Hindustani music is considered to be a parallel
development of Rupakalapti2.” Before we discuss the impact of this form of music since
the seventeenth century, it will not be out of place to talk about the evolution of the Khayal.
Various theories have been advanced regarding the origin or evolution of Khayal. Swami
Prajnanananda in his book, ‘A historical study of Indian music’ wrote some of the theories
in this regard: Some trace the origin or evolution of Khayal to Qawwali type of regional
love songs or devotional songs. Some say that the new and novel form of Khayal was the
result of admixture of decorative principle and word-structure of melody. Some hold that
the new form of Khayal evolved from the musical composition (Prabandha), Kaivada,
possessing three musical parts (Dhatus) and Bhavani-Jati with three limbs (Angas) of
12-13th century A.D. Some scholars are of the opinion that not only Kaivada, but other
Prabandhas like Ekatali and Rasaka are also the originators of Khayal. Some others again
argue that Khayal was designed based on the shastric Aksiptika, which has been described
by Sharangadeva in the Sangitaratnakra3. Similarly there are also differences of the opinion
regarding the innovator or originator of Khayal.
2.2.1 Amir Khusro:
Amir Khusro, an Indo-Persian scholar, was an accomplished musician as well as a

musicologist. He is believed to be well conversant with the popular type of song, the
Qawali of the Qawals. It is said that he introduced Khayal with a particular style of
execution among the music-loving people of the society of that time. But most of the

3 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.176-177
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scholars have refuted this view1. According to Prof. S.H. Askari, “If we study and analyse
the writing and compositions of Amir Khusaro, we do not find any mention of Khayal in
it. That’s why considering him as the inventor and the originator of Khayal is not true
completely2.” To further examine this claim, we have to determine wether Khayal was an
exotic concept or an indeginous evolution. From the available evidence in India & Iran,
there does not seem to have been a form in Iran similar to the Khayal. But one definitely
finds clear and exhaustive description of Khayal in musical texts of the thirteenth century
like the Sangitaratnakra of Sharangadeva of Rupakalapti, Sthayabhanjani, Rupakabhanjini
etc. From the descriptions of the above terms it is evident that the Khayal was a natural
evolution of Indian music because the actual rendering of the Khayal is very similar to the
description of Rupakalapti & Rupakabhanjini given in Sangitaratnakara. Of course, Khusro
was a very imaginative and artistic personality. He was undoubtedly drawn towards Indian
Classical Music. During his time, i.e. between the middle of thirteenth century to the
beginning of the fourteenth century being a renowned poet in Persian & a Sufi, he
composed several types of poems like Qasida, Rubayi etc. and set some of these poems in
easy simple rhythms. It appears that Qawwali form was born in this manner and was a
contribution of Amir Khusro. Being a Sufi and a disciple of the famous Hazarat
Nizzamuddin Aulia, he used to listen to plenty of devotional music, which included
Qawwali. It is likely that he experimented by composing a form based on the Qawwali.
Later on he improved on the above compositions and may have called them Khayals3. But,
there is of course no clear evidence to credit the contribution of the word Khayal to Amir
Khusro, because there is no reference to this word in any of his works. There is also not
reference to Khayal in any of the famous texts written and provided by artists who were
his contemporaries. One does find a reference to the Khayal in Ain-e-Akbari, the
magnificent Chronicle of Abul Fazal (1551-1602 A.D.) where on page 730 he clearly
mentions that in Delhi: Khayal (spelt Kheal) and Tarana were sung and they were
composed by Amir Khusro with the assistance of Samit and Tatar. He says, "They are a

2 Sharma, L, Bhartiye Sangeet Ki Aanveshnatmak Sameeksha, p.201
3 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.42-43
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delightful mixture of Persian & Hindu style. Even if we assume that Amir Khusro gave
this form, it seems to have died a very natural death as the Qawwali form went out of vogue
along with Amir Khusro's death. It did not have the classical base of the Prabandha which
was then the staple classical form and so it was not liked by the classical musicians. They
refused to take it up and hence it disappeared. In the subsequent time, till the sixteenth
century, the Khayal was nowhere to be seen; the Dhruvapada took the place of the
Prabandha and became the main Classical form1.
2.2.2 Sultan Husain Sharque:
Captain Willard in his book- Treatise on the Music of Hindustan has said That Sultan
Hussain Sharque of Jaunpur was the innovator of this class of song2. A.H. Fox-Srangways
in his book-The Music of Hindostan has said that the mst common type of Khayal was a
later form of Dhruvapada and was supposed to be evolved from Muhammad (Sultan)
Sharque in 1401-1440 A.D3.Some believe that it was Sultan Hussain Sharque who
developed Khayal on the basis of an older form of folk song that was prevalent in North
India in the early part of the mediaeval times4. Husain Sharque was not only a matchless
musician, but also a great inventor. He was one of the greatest exponents of the Khayal. In
many books he has been credited to be the founder of Khayal. Ironically while Dhrupad
was growing in stature, an anti-Dharupad movement was underway in Jaunpur. The ruler
here at that time was Hussain Shah Sharqi (1458-1528 A.D.) who was also a good
musician. For a long time people felt that the Dharupad style was too formal and what
Indian music required was a less formal and more imaginative style. So Hussain Shah
Sharque and his fellow musicians invented the Khayal Style. The Khayal offered wide
scope for technical Brilliance, invention & imaginative treatment of secular & religious
themes. Even this form of Khayal was not acceptable to the classical musicians of the
period as they were not prepared to accept the liberties taken by this form over the
Prabandha. Therefore sultan Sharque's Khayal although comparatively strongly based on

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classical foundations did not come up to the exacting standards of the classical musicians
of his time. This form of Khayal may be said to something like the modern Madhyalaya
Khayal. But it was in its infancy and naturally did not have the maturity of structure and
improvisation. As the time advanced, however, this version got more approbation from
scholars and musicians than the earlier version, the Khusravi Khayal based on Qawwali
had received1. Most of the scholars are of the opinion that neither Amir Khusro nor Sultan
Hussain Sharque was the innovator of Khayal but it was an outcome of the gradual process
of evolution that was at work during the reign of the Sultans like Ghiyas-ud-din, Balban,
Zala-ud-din Firuz, Ala-ud-din Khilji and the Tughlaq rulers, supported by the inventive
geniuses of the Muslim and Indo-Persian musicians2. This argument has been elaborately
dealt by Thakur Jaideva Singh. He has opened a new vista of investigation into the origin
of Khayal. He has said about the evolution of Khayal:" Sharangadeva's Sangitaratnakara
was written in 13th century in which Sharangadeva mentioned five types of musical
compositions called 'Gitis' viz., Shuddha, Bhinna, Gaudi, Vesara and Sadharani. The main
contention of Thakur Sahib is that Khayal evolved or rather developed in a new and novel
form from the ancient Shastric Sadharani Giti and its charming style evolved from the
Rupakalapti that was current in the 12-13th century A.D. Thakur Sahib has stated about his
personal view: "I maintain that the so-called Khayal style of musical composition is
nothing but only a natural development of the Sadharani-Giti with the predominant use of
Bhinna in it that became the Khayal3." Regarding the characteristics of Sadharani Giti,
Sharangadeva has said: “An eclectic style of composition which included with the excellent
points of all other four styles, more charming than all other styles because it was full of
Gamakas, Pleasant, tender with sweet idioms and delicate nuances of emotion (Kaku)4.”
For its composition, the Khayal adopted the style of Sadharani-Giti i.e. it embodied within
itself the excellent features of all the styles and had a predominance of the Bhinna style i.e.
it exploited all the Ghamakas without bothering about their names, Khatka, Murki, Meend,
Kampan, Andolana, everything was beautifully woven into its structure. Further it must be

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remembered that the structure and design of the Khayal is somewhat similar to that of the
ancient Shastric 'Rupakalapti'. Simhabhupala defined Rupakalapti as when Alap is
accompanied by Raga and Tala, contained in a Prabandha, it is called the Rupakalapti. It
is the creative and imaginative song1. Rupakalapti lays emphasis upon the beauty of
'creative fancy'. So, regarding evolution of Khayal, it can be said that it developed upon
the already existing ancient structure of the Sadharani-giti, having its basis on Rupakalapti
for the imaginative and creative Style2.
So Khayal is neither a new or foreign importation in Indian music, nor did Amir Khusro
invent it in the 13th century rather it was current mostly among the Muslim musicians of
the Arab-Persian stock3. Amir Khusro flourished in 13th century and at the same time
Sharangadeva flourished and completed his epoch-making treatise on music,
Sangitaratnakara. Amir Khusro was a man of extraordinary merit and intelligence, and he
was well-versed in Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit and other languages. So it might be the
fact that, being a scholar and a music-loving man himself, he was quite aware of the
colorful form of the Shastric Sadharani-Ragagiti, together with the imaginative style of the
Rupakalapti, full of so much embellishment, as described by Sharangadeva's
Sangitaratnakara. It is most probable that he thought it better to designate the fanciful type
and style of Qawwali of his time as Khayal for better understanding and sweet rendering.
But we do not know whether he can be credited for doing that. And if that be so, then it is
also possible that the newly introduced type and style gradually attracted the attention of
all music and beauty-loving people of that time and consequently attained refinement
through gradual novel process during the time of the Sharqi Rulers in 15th century A.D.
The Sharqi rulers were great lovers as well as patrons of fine arts like architecture, painting
and music, and so it can be assumed that Khayal got their support, and it was much
improved and better understood during the time of Sultan Hussain Sharqi4.

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Khayal gradually attracted the minds of the beauty of the beauty-loving artists, the later
Sultans and Royal families. The Khayal was highly developed during the time of Sultan
Muhammad Shah in 1719-1748 A.D, under the able guidance of Niyamat Khan, who was
an adept in Dhruvapada and Veena. Niyamat Khan won the title of 'Sadarang' from Sultan
Muhammad Shah for his great talents and theoretical and practical knowledge in classical
music. It is a fact that Nayamat Khan, Sadarang designed the elegant classical form of
Khayal in a majestic and colourful slow tempo (Vilambit Laya) like Dharuvapada. It has
already been said that he designed Khayal either on the basis of some Shastric Prabandha-
giti as delineated in the ancient Sangita-Shastras, or innovated it absolutely in a new and
novel form, based on the somewhat reformed type of Khayal that already existed in the
society. Truly speaking, Niyamat Khan, Sadarang heightened the classical form of Khayal,
and made it to be appreciated by the top-ranking musicians and Royal sovereigns of that
time. Henceforth, it attained the similar high position as enjoyed by Dhruvapada, and
gradually came to be developed with many modifications and changes in forms and styles
and decorative elements even up to the present time. In the 19th-20th century, there evolved
some colourful novel styles in Khayal through individual efforts-cum-methods of
execution or embellishment and they were named after noted places (seats of culture) and
artists. To name e few: Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana, Jaipur Gharana, Patiala Gharana,
Kirana Gharana, Alladdiya Khan Gharana etc. Different kinds of Ghamaka, Subtle Tana,
Meenda, Bol or Vani, Laya (tempo) etc were the salient features constituting their
differences1. The third and the final phase of the evolution of the Khayal took place in the
eighteenth century when two great Vaggeyakaras, Sadaranga and Adaranga took up the
task of composing the Khayal based on the solid foundations of the Dhruvapada. Both these
musicians were exponents of Dhruvapada gayaki. Sadaranga & Adaranga trained several
disciples in rendering the Khayal, but appeared to have never themselves tak to this style.
They remained faithful to the Dharuvapada Gayaki. This version of the Khayal by
Sadaranga and Adaranga caught the fancy of their contemporaries. It offered them not only
the sound classical base of the Dharuvapada but also liberated them from the manifold

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limitations of structural, rhythmic and textual restrictions. This version opened up new
doors of artistic improvisation unmatched in its vastness of scope1.
2.2.3 Sadarang and Adarang
Khayal singing got proper recognition and support in the Court of Mughal King
Mohammad Shah Rangile through Adarang and Sadarang. Due to this it took a firm
position in Indian Music2. Pt. Bhatkhande said: “in my opinion it is not ok to assume that
Khayal was invented and then propagated by a single person. Singing styles like Khayal
existed in society already but they were not very popular. In further time sultan Hussain
Sharque liked this singing style. He encouraged singers to use this style and thus Khayal
became more popular3. Prof. B.R. Devdhar wrote, “For the first time Khayal composition
was started by Amir Khusro but it did not get popular at that time. After that sultan Hussain
Sharque, Chanchal Sen, Chand Khan and Suraj Khan made a lot of efforts to make it more
interesting but they could not succeed to achieve it. Niyamat Khan also put in his efforts4.”
In this way, the present form of Khayal came into existence during these centuries with the
contribution of so many artists and musicologists and became the main singing style of
modern times leaving behind Dhrupad. "This was an era of Muslim domination where an
unfortunate downfall of Sanskrit and Hindu tradition occured. This version of the Khayal
was in a way a mixture of the orthodox Hindu tradition and the newer trend of liberalism
in the arts, especially in music. This liberalism or freedom of expression can be thought to
be a direct result of the Muslim influence. This influence definitely had an unwelcome
effect on Indian music, especially the Hindustani music. Although it got enriched
enormously by addition of some of beneficial features of Persian music and by allowing
musicians freedom and an increased scope for artistic and aesthetic expression but it altered
the existing sysytem. The Khayal gradually took deep roots in the musical soil and began
displacing its predecessor, the Dhruvapada."

2 Upreti, G. C, Bhartiye Sangeet: Badalta Pridarishya, p.35
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By and by, the Khayal edged the Dharuvapada out of the field and became the principal
form of classical music of North India. It kept on adding new things to itself. For example,
as opposed to Dharuvapada, the earlier rigid structure and its strict adherence to the various
words of the text to the respective Matras of the Tala was considerably relaxed. The
rendition of the Khayal assumed a more expansive and flexible character without altering
any of the essential classical injections. The other improvements in the Khayal that
happened included the introduction of Tana, Bola-Tana, additional Gamakas like Gitkiri,
Zamzama, Tripucha, Khatka, Murki etc. and the adoption of the aesthetic expressiveness
of the Thumri in its Bola-Upaj, or creative variations of the words of the composition
alongwith optimum combinations of notes, to enhance the context of the words. The advent
of this aspect in the Khayal led to significant 'sentimental' enrichment. It also made the
khayal more fluid and flexibile in rendition. Today, the Khayal is rich in its inheritance,
having combined in one way or another the cardinal aspects of practically all forms of
Hindustani music from the Dhruvapada to the Thumari and Tappa. Some well-known
musicians of today have also introduced into the Khayal inflections and embellishments of
the Ghazal and of the Folk music1.
2.3 Structure of Khayal
A Short history of the origin of the Khayal in three different stages has already been given.
Now the musical aspects of the Khayal will be discussed which operate in its actual
rendering. The word Khayal means an idea, whim, imagination- 'Kalpana'. Today the
Khayal is the staple form of Hindustani classical music. It embodies the gravity of the
Dhruvapada, the romanticism of the Thumari and the lyricism of the lighter forms like
Dadra and even Ghazal. The Khayal is a highly specialized art form. Its composition today
is quite intricate in spite of the vast latitude it enjoys in comparison with the Dhruvapada.
There are several steps in its elaboration; each of these steps is meant to emphasize a
specific point of aesthetics and musical excellence. It basically follows the pattern of
tension and resolution, comparison and contrast, and variation and repetition, as in all other

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evolved forms of music in the world1. Hence, Khayal is a logical and scientific style of
singing. It has always been open for new additions and innovations. Since the very
beginning khayal singing has given the artists freedom to express their feelings and impose
their own style of presentations. This type of freedom was not available in other forms like
Dhrupad. That’s why khayal singing left dhrupad behind and became the primary singing
style. The khayal that we see and experience today did not develop over a few days but is
the result of a development spead over 200 -300 years. This was a result of various
experimentations and modifications carried out throughout centuries. These included the
combination of many forms of classical music form and may newer forms as well. That is
the reason we can identify many folk and regional music forms in the khayal singing 2.
Sadharni shaili can be seen incuded in khayal singing. That means khayal contains parts of
almost all the types of singing styles. These include Ghamakas like Khatka, Murki, Meend,
Kampan, aur Andolan. This composition makes khayal unique in its own way3. A typical
Khayal presentation of a raga uses two Bandishes, the first in Vilambit Laya (slow tempo)
and the second in Drut Laya (fast tempo). One observes the following stages in the
presentation of each Bandish: first, the Bandish is sung as it is, and then it is improvised
upon. Slow improvisation (Alap, Bol-alap) on the Sathayi comes first, followed by similar
treatment of the Antara, and finally faster improvisation on the Sathayi (Bol-tan, Tan)4. In
the Khayal, first important thing is the composition or Bandish. Bandish is a Hindi as well
as Urdu word which means a well-knit composition. The Bandish is a very important part
of the description of the Khayal. In fact the real caliber of a singer is judged by the accuracy
with which he renders the Bandish. Its importance is justified because the Bandish portrays,
in a nutshell, the cardinal features of the Raga in which it is composed, the notes to be
stressed, the specific varieties of Ghamakas or aesthetic graces to be employed5. A bandish
1Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.55

2Chakrabourty, H.C., Khayal aur uska Vikas, Nibandh Sangeet, p.41
3 Singh, J, Khayal aur uska Vikas, Nibandh Sangeet, p.49
4 Text accompanying Video Cassette ETHNO VC 1, Khyal: Classical Singing of North
India p.13
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is a fixed melodic form created out of swara, laya, raga and tala. It is in two parts: Sathayi
and Antra1.
2.3.1 Vilambit Khayal and its Presentation
Khayal Presentation Starts with Alap, a kind of slow melodic phrases, sung before the
Bandish starts as a preface, or as improvisation while elaborating on the Bandish. Let us
first consider prefatory Alaps sung before the Bandish (and the Theka) start. These Alaps
are either seen as a vehicle to create the atmosphere of the raga, or the Pakad (signature) of
the raga is sung to help the listener identify it. In my opinion prefatory Alaps should
introduce not only the raga but also the notes of the Mukhra and the tempo, the artist plans
to use. Some Khayal singers prefer the Nom-Tom style of Alap characteristic of dhrupad
singing2. Vilambit Bandishes are found in popular Talas such as Ektal, Teental, Jhoomra,
Tilwada, and Jhaptal. How slow should Vilambit tempo be, to some extent, this is a matter
of individual taste. Each singer decides the tempo for his singing considering his training,
aesthetic sense, and the quality and capability of her voice. However, there are some basic
principles one must observe. Many traditional Bandishes almost demand a particular
tempo. The beauty of the Bandish and the balance of its form comes alive only if the right
Tala and tempo are used. One hears much slower Vilambit tempo today than our tradition
recommends. The Sathayis of many traditional Khayals are composed to be sung over two
Avartans of the Tala. It is considered best to keep the traditional tempo if one is singing a
traditional bandish3. In Khayal, Sathayi opens with a characteristic phrase known as
Mukhda, which illustrates, as it were, the striking facial features of the Raga which is
usually between the Mandra Saptaka and the Tara Sadja. But within this range the Sathayi
usually covers most of the aesthetic centers of the Raga. And any other peculiar Meenda

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or Ghamaka that helps bring out the spirit and mood of the Raga will be highlighted by this
part of the Bandish.
After the Sathayi is fully rendered, the Mukhada is taken while coming back to the Sama.
Sama is the beginning of the rhythmic cycle, where one has to steadily return after tracing
the diverse courses of the Raga and Tala. After the Satahyi and the Mukhada are concluded,
the various steps of development of the Khayal are taken up systematically. The first step
is known as Bhadhat. Here the Raga is elucidated Swara by Swara. The singer Halts at each
Swara; not only he take the same Swara in divergent ways using different Gamakas or
aesthetic graces, he also takes short attractive phrases which highlight a particular Swara-
which must be one of the most important Swaras of the Raga. The singer now moves on to
the next important Swara; on the way he explores all possible avenues of melodic delight1.
In words of Veena Sahasrabuddhe, some artists use the phrases of the Bandish as the basis,
varying and decorating these in numerous ways as they go. This style is known as Upaj
Ang. Others go from note to successively higher note in the octave, highlighting each note
in order. This style is called Merukhanda Paddhati2. In the Badhat the combinations are
taken very slowly, each Swara being spaciously explored. Of course certain fast adorning
embellishments like Khatka, Murki and various types of Ghamkas are taken to create a
disparity with the slow movement. In this way the Tara Shadja is reached. When the singer
reaches the Tara Shadja, the Mukhada of the Antara is sung, after which comes the
amplification of the Antara portion of the Raga through Alaps3. After Alap comes Bol-
Alap. When the words are repeated while improvising slow phrases, we call the form Bol-
alap. In this type of improvisation, the words are to be treated as meaningful entities.
Neither individual words nor word order should be so disfigured as to disturb the meaning
of the song. Simultaneously, the tempo of utterance must follow the tempo of the melody4.
After the Alaps, the Antara is then completed, and the Mukhada is taken again. Here, one

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thing must be noted, symmetry is a very useful notion when designing alaps. The form of
every raga offers its own unique opportunities for symmetric phrases between the
poorvanga (lower tetrachord, sa re ga ma) and uttaranga (upper tetrachord, pa dha ni sa).
To a listener, the two phrases linked through this symmetry appear to be a sawal (question)
and its jawab (answer)1. It must be noted that in the delineation of Badhat, the Sama is
taken consistently after each rhythmic cycle (Avartana). The continual touching of the
Sama gives the rendering a clear structural form. The attention to Tala in the midst of Raga
elaboration is very significant. It is this emphasis that brings about a balance and rhythm
in the melodic development. Improvisation in a Vilambit composition must never lose
sight of the rhythmic tensions and balance of the Bandish. Every Tala and its Theka has its
own characteristic form, like a meter in poetry, which a good Khayal Bandish possesses.
There are limits to how slow a Tala can be played before the form melts away. Similarly,
the feel of a Theka gets lost if it is played too fast. The phrases used while improvising on
a Bandish must match the form and tempo of that Bandish. The more the form and Laya
of the Alaps matches those of the Mukhra, the more seamless and perfect the Avartan will
appear. The perfect Avartan maintains a close relation between the Swaras and phrases of
the Alaps on the one hand and the progress of the Theka on the other hand, so that the
listener can feel the Mukhra and Sam coming. The end point appears so natural, so logical,
that the listener is moved to giving out an immediate expression to joy. This logic of
relating to the Tala bears the technical name ‘Aamad’. This smooth merging of swara and
laya into one is considered the finest achievement of the Khayal singer's art2. After the
Antra has been completed, the next step is increasing the Tempo of the Tala and singing
the Firat. Now-a-days this is the stage at which many musicians sing Sargams or improvise
the Raga. Firat is a special feature which involves the free movement of the voice over the
gross range of the Raga, covering as many as three octaves. This movement comes between
Badhat and Tana. It does not have the slow halting movement of the Badhat or the fast,
crisp accents of the Tana. The Firat is in Madhya Laya (Medium Tempo); and all the

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Swaras are beautifully merged into one another, and the movement flows in waves. There
is an intrinsic swing in it. The Swaras (Notes) are not merely taken in a rolling manner;
there is a special style of rendering it, too. The notes blend into one another, and continuity
is maintained throughout.
The singer winds up the Firat with a typical fast straight Tana covering from half an octave
to a little over an octave, and takes the Mukhada with a flourish. Another point about the
Firat is the peculiar cyclic movement of the Svara patterns. They rotate and revolve around
certain Svaras which are taken as nucleus for expansion of decorative combinations. The
Firat is a crucial part of the Khayal, and is performed with Akara or with the use of words
and different vowels1. After Firat comes Layakari or rhythmic variations. Here the singer's
command over Tala is exhibited. The singer cross-accents, modifies and sometimes follows
a particular rhythmic meter, and comes on the Sama with a Tihayi. The Tihayi is typical
three-even-set rhythmic figures which is taken by the singers at the end of the Avartana
while coming to the Sama. This can be a complicated operation. Sometimes very different
fractions of the beats are produced all along the way from Sama to Sama, testing the
command of artists over the Laya. This is done a few times to add variety and emphasis to
the Tala. In Layakari, the text of the Khayal is utilized to highlight the rhythmic patterns2.
After Layakari comes the Bol-Tanas. These are melodic figures which use the words off
Khayal. These are in the form of metric patterns, and converge on the Sama with imposing
force. Bol-Tanas usually follow the matras of the Tala, thus granting scope for the Tabla
player to join the rhythmic display. Both the singer and Tabla player, keeping a close count
of the beats of Tala, land on the Sama with great plume. Bol-Tanas lighten the atmosphere
of the recital, and the interest of the audience is at one focused. One more thing we want
to mention here that even those who are unable to understand the actual details of the
Swaras and Tala can appreciate and enjoy the overall flow of the Bol-Tanas. Very few
Gharanas sing Bol-Tanas. Agra Gharana specializes in Bol-Tanas. We must say this must
be made a mandatory part of the Khayal for making it more tempting and engrossing3 and

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finally come the Tanas. Tanas are melodic figures of the Raga. These figures are structured
in such a manner as to accommodate various Alankaras or ornamental phrases. Therefore,
the diversity and complexity of these figures depend on the virtuosity of the singer, and on
the artistic skill of his voice. The more flexible the voice, the richer the variety. But the
important factor to be kept in mind is that the Tanas should never sound like the practicing
of Swara exercise. Tanas should be so well practiced that they should be absorbed in the
Raga in which they are used. The Tanas should also sound like an extension of the
elaboration of the Raga, the only difference being that it will be fast or very fast; its Raga
flavor should never diminish. Such Tanas are called Raga-Dari Tanas. The rest are
repetitions of vocal exercise, which should be reserved for practice at home and should not
be sung in public. The Tana, even when sung well and correctly, is only a part of the finale
of the rendering. With attractive variety, they are usually a display of the vocalist's control
over Swaras, swiftness of voice, accuracy of intonation, and command over Tala1. Tans
provide sharpness (Chamatkar) in a Khayal presentation. Only tans have the capacity to
raise the tempo to a climax. The best tans display architectural beauty besides the wonder
of rapid movement of voice. How much of a total Khayal presentation should be devoted
to tans? The right proportion depends on the nature of the raga and Bandish. The moods of
some ragas such as Sohni, Adana, and Shankara get expressed well through tans2.
2.3.2 Drut Khayal and its Presentation
After the display of the flurry of Tanas, the fast or Druta Khayal is performed. In this
Khayal, after singing the Sathayi and Antara, the musician generally does the Bola-Upaj.
This is a very extravagant play of the words of the song, swaying with the rhythmic beats
of the Tala. Here there is no restriction on any fixed pattern of Matras. It is basically a
melodic operation using the words and Tala as an aid to heighten the effect of the Upaj.
This has a lilting cadence of its own and can be extremely attractive3. After vilambit khyal,
usually a madhya laya or drut bandish is sung. Most often two bandishes are sung in a raga,

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one vilambit and the other in either madhya or drut tempo. They are also called bada and
chhota khyal, respectively1. After Bola-Upaj, the general progression is to sing a variety of
Tanas of varying duration-from a quarter of an Avartana to several Avartanas. Here the
singer brings out the intensity of his skill. Tanas are essentially a manifestation of the
mechanical control of the singer over the Swaras, and unless he or she exhibits the spirit of
the Raga through them, they are no different from repeating voice-exercises. There are
many varieties of Tanas; to give an idea of the variety of the Tanas, the following types
could be cited: Koot Tana, Chhoot Tana, Sapaat Tana, Alankarik Tana, Khatka Tana,
Ghamaka Tana,Vakra Tana, Shuddha Tana, Mishra Tana, Gitkiri Tana, Palat Tana, Jabade
ki Tana, Ladant Tana etc2. But we must remember that Tanas form a small part of the
elaboration of the Khayal. But we find today, some musicians dealing with Tanas rather as
a wrestler takes on his opponent and twists, turns and torments him. It becomes a coarse
exhibition of physical stamina and does not reveal musical wisdom. There is inevitable
distortion of Swaras, and all that the singer gets is a "wah-wah" (well done) from those
listeners who are superficially impressed by the histrionics, speed and physical exertion of
the performer. Tanas should be a balanced part of the musical rendering and should not be
allowed to lose their essential musical appeal. They should not be charred in any case3. We
see Khayal to be more comprehensive and complete than the other preceding classical
styles. As already stated, the Khayal has captivated some of the articulate aesthetic aspects
of the Thumari, like the Bol-Upaj, which is a characteristic way of note-phrasing with
judicious use of words to augment the meaning of the theme of the song. Emphasis is laid
on both Shabda (words) and Swarocharna, i.e. aesthetic, alluring, inflexions in the
expression of words and notes. This is sometimes also described as Kaku-bheda or Pukar.
Late Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Agra Gharana was an expert in this style of expression and
popularized it a great deal. The Khayal, in addition to incorporating some useful Thumari-
style expressions, has also assimilated the peculiar Zanzama Tanas of the Tappa. This is a

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Tana in where the notes bounce up on to their second or third higher notes and bounce back
in a smooth continuous legato manner1.
2.4 Aim & objectives of Hindustani Music viz Khayal:
Here music exploration is an experience where the performer has to depersonalize him i.e.
when the creation is free from the creator. In Indian music specially, this aspect is all the
more crucial, because it is by and large improvised, and therefore, the total dissolution of
the ego in the creative process is very essential. This is possible, and it is here that the
function of music becomes spiritual. All spiritual approaches aim at the disintegration of
the ego and the understanding of one’s true self. Indian music is an excellent and enjoyable
way of achieving this2. Creativity is an ineluctable adjunct of all true art; and in this surge
of creativity, no amount of newness is impossible. But it must always be remembered that
creativity in classical music has to take place within the environs of the Raga. It is like
yogic discipline: in the beginning there is rigid control and direction is everything physical
and mental; but all is calculated to bring about total release from the thralldom of the flesh
and the ego. Similarly in the exposition of the Raga, the initial grim of form and the stress
on virtuosity goes only up to the point of artistic effluence. At this stage, the rigidity and
inhibitory nature of the Raga vanishes. The musician dives deep into that ocean of ethereal
melody, or Nada, and is dissolved in it. It is because of this truth that Ragas like Yaman,
Bhairav, Todi, Puriya, Malkaun, etc. which have been sung hundreds of thousands times,
in the hands of gifted musicians still transport the listeners to transcendental delight3.
2.5 Khayal: The complete singing style
Thus the Khayal is much richer than all the other musical forms. But any extravagant
combination of any particular form is likely to distort its overall structure and artistic
balance. For instance, the admixture of Thumari embellishments to excess is likely to
disturb the gravity of the Khayal and too much of the somber grim of the Dhruvapada is
likely to destroy the romantic air of the Khayal. It is like excessive ornamentation of the

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nose, eyes or ears, which makes the whole face look imbalanced. All these factors would
fall perfectly in line in the optimal proportions when music flows naturally and without
any intervention by the ego1.
2.6 Gharana System: Introduction
Whenever we talk about Hindustani Classical music, the term Gharana always comes up.
The importance and contributions of the Gharana system to the field of music cannot be
ignored in any way. This is all because of the effort, concentration and the guidance of
various gurus who are a part of the Gharana system2. The Gharana system has played a
great role in the creation and maintenance of our musical tradition. The history of
Hindustani classical music is actually the history of various musical Gharanas that existed
at different times throughout the history. Gharanas existed all over India just the
terminology used was different. In north, they were called as Gharanas. In south, they were
called Sampardays. Some examples are Shivmat and Bharatmat3. Although on one hand
Gharana system had lot of positive effects but it had some negative effects on the Indian
music as well. Some light needs to be shed on this aspect as well.
2.7 Meaning of Gharana:
The word Gharana originates from Hindi word Ghar (from the Sanskrit word Grah) which
means ‘of the house’4. In normal usage the word Gharana has many meanings; Ghar,
Kutumb, Parivar, Sampardaye, Vansh Prampara etc. Gharana generally refers to a family
of musicians, a school of music or a musical lineage connected by the name of a particular
person or place. The characteristic feature of a Gharana is its special style of teaching and
presentation. Musicians of a particular Gharana have their own individual styles of
presentation, but their training and conditioning is distinguishable by style that they
present. Gharana leaves indelible marks on the presentation of the performer5.

2 Kaur, D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar, p.125
5 http://www.indianetzone.com/35/gharanas_hindustani_vocal_music.html
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According to Dr. Krishan Rao Pandit “A tradition of centuries, the intellect of Gurus, and
generations of guru shishya parampara all of these together make a Gharana1. Gharana, in
Hindustani music of India, stands for "A community of performers who share a distinctive
musical style that traces to a particular instructor or region. A “distinctive musical style”
in Hindustani tradition includes not only uniqueness of performance, but also a broader
ideology of music, aesthetics, and pedagogy. That style must be passed down through three
generations before it and its practitioners may be considered a Gharana2. A Gharana
generally is started by a talented and creative individually who has created and developed
a novel presentation for the Raga and has further propagated the teaching into his disciples.
When this process keeps going on for at least three generations, gharana is formed3. The
style of singing achieved the status of a Gharana only when it was passed over faithfully
and truly for at least three successive generations4. An artist of great genius creates his own
style and mark of presenting a particular Raga. When a truly knowledgeable and
appreciative audience accepts this particular style, the teacher-artist trains his pupils in
same style. Those pupils in their turn carry forward the same style, thus creating a tradition
of that style. Eventually, that style acquires the name of either the original artist or his birth-
place or the state which gave him the patronage. Thus, name of the Gharana refers to a
particular style of singing. A musical presentation which is backed by a long tradition and
is marked by discipline, methodology and neatness is known as “Gharana”5.
In relation to music, Gharana refers to a family of musicians, a school of music or a musical
lineage connected with the name of a particular person or place. The innate feature of a
Gharana is its special style of presentation: the result of the special and extraordinary
creativity and innovation of a highly talented musician. The other musicians of the Gharana
may have their own individual features of presentation, but their training and conditioning
in the distinguishing style of the Gharana is bound to leave indelible and recognizable
stamps on the presentation of the performer. For a Gharana to be able to call a school, at
1 Kaur, D, Samajak vigyan Pattar, p.18

2 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1912011/gharana Dated 16-May-15
3 Deshpande V, Indian Musical Traditions, p. 12
5 http://www.swaratarang.com/gharana.html
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least three generations of established teacher-disciple pedagogic relationship must have
been there before. Another remarkable feature is that each Gharana has its own special
Silsila or style or logic of presentation1.These schools or Gharanas have their basis in the
traditional mode of musical training and education. Every Gharana has its own distinct
features. The main area of difference between Gharanas is the singing of notes in a different
manner. The concept of a Guru- Shishya leads to the development of Gharanas. The
Gharanas emerge from the creative style of a genius, who gives existing structures a totally
new approach, form and interpretation. This new approach is applied to include the tone of
the voice, the pitch, the inflexions and the intonations, and the specific application of the
various nuances2.
A Gharana also indicates an inclusive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes
changes substantially from one Gharana to another. The thinking, teaching, performance
and appreciation of music are directly affected. Musicologists and musicians have accepted
a Gharana if it has existed for at least three generations either within the family or through
the guru-shishya mode. The key factor is the style of a musician, which should follow at
least one authentic Gharana. On the other hand, there may be brilliant musicians with a
distinctive style of their own, which need not represent any Gharana. In other words, a
musician may form a distinctive style by incorporating a variety of styles. A new Gharana
is born when his sons or disciples continue this style for three or more generations3. The
one main characteristic of Indian music is that the arstist has full freedom to demonstrate
his dexterity and talent. the singer can present the different Aalapa, Bola Aalaps, Bol Tanas,
Ghamak, Meend and various Laya-Karies per his wish, given that he follows the rules of
the music. The Raga remain the same, but the singing style varies from singer to singer.
In this way singers give rise to different presentations of the same song4.
1 http://www.ragaculture.com/gharana.html
2 http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/hindustani-gharanas.html
3http://www.itcsra.org/sra_story/sra_story_guru/sra_story_guru_links/sra_story_guru_gh
arana/sra_story_guru_gharana_index.html
4 Kaur D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar, p.18
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2.8 Evolution of Gharana System
It may be interesting to trace the history of the tradition of the Gharana, which came to be
of such importance from the sixteenth century onwards. This was not purely an event of
the mediaeval period. Right from the earliest times, there have always different schools of
music in our country1. In the ancient times, the word used for gharana was "samuday".
During the times old dhrupad, the word "bani" came into vogue and after the advent of
khayal, the concept of Gharana came into light. In this way the presence of different classes
originated in Hindustani Music2.
It is believed that the ancient knowledge hubs had their own distinct Gitiyans like Shuddha,
Bhinna, Gaudi, Vesra, and Sadharni. During Dhrupad period, Gobarhar, Dagur, Nauhar
and Khandar Vaniyan became popular. After dhrupad when Khayal came up, it gave rise
to the advent of Gharanas3.
The emergence of Gharana system has its roots in the Guru-Shishya Parampara which is
the hallmark of learning traditional art forms in the Indian subcontinent. The seeds of
Gharana system were planted in the 16th century with the advent of Banis or styles
associated with the dhrupad. Even today a number of Gharanas trace their origin to these
Banis. Further evolution of Gharana system came from the process of the gradual
disintegration of the Mughal Empire. The modern Khayal Gharanas are generally traceable
to the period of the collapsing of the Mogul empire. Gharanas were found throughout the
North in every field-dance, vocal and instrumental music. They tend to be enunciated
among themselves. In the professional sense, a Gharana had some of the characteristics of
a guild. It was always understood that tracing one’s linage to a major Gharana was a
prerequisite for obtaining a position in the royal courts. The Gharanas were entrusted with
the duty of maintaining a certain standard of musicianship4.
According to Dr. Sumati Mutatkar “During the medium ages, singers got allocated in
various kingdoms like Gwalior, Rampur, Udaipur, Lakhnow, Baroda, etc. over here they
practised and propagated their own style of music. But due to lack of awareness they

4 http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/gharana.html
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considered themselves to be the greatest. They instructed their disciples not to share the
knowledge with other people and keep it to themselves. This eventually led to the formation
of various Gharanas over time1. During this period of uncertainty, many musicians sort
refuge in neighbouring states which were ruled by the Nawabs and Maharajas. Therefore
the centre of musical excellence shifted from Delhi to other states like Gawalior, Lucknow,
Hyderabad, Patiala, and Rampur.
During Mughal period, gifted musicians all over north India were absorbed into different
native states. The rulers of these states were generally averse to their musicians travelling
to other states. The artists therefore came in course of time, to be retained in various courts
exclusively for the personal pleasure of their respective rulers. They naturally became
isolated from the people, and this produced a kind of musical confinement. There remained
no scope of widening their musical vision. Surprisingly this had a strange beneficial effect.
This enforced isolation left the musicians with no alternative but to vigorously practice
whatever they knew and to develop ever greater refinement and delicacy2.
By looking at the history we get to know that the Nawabs and rulers also had a big role to
play in the formation of gharanas. The Mughal rulers that occupied areas in India were
music lovers. They gave lite importance to singers and artistes in their courts. From time
to time they organized music functions and competitions and the winners were rewarded
handsomely. This led to an increase in the rate of development of music. Singing now
became a full-fledged career choice and being a royal singer became the life goal of the
aspiring singers. The elite singers started teaching their children to be better singer so that
they could lead a luxurious and comfortable life. All this led to an increased competition
for the royal posts. Due to this the sharing of music knowledge became obsolete and played
a big role in creation of Gharanas.

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2.9 Different Gharanas of Khayal
Large areas of India were under the control of various kings and Nawabs. These states were
generally had enough resources to support artists and musicians in their courts, which was
very conducive to growth of arts and music. They ued to appoint musicians innthier courts1.
For this Research work it was very necessary to have basic knowledge about every
Gharana, its specifications and main artists. Gharana system deeply influenced Hindustani
music. Study of Gharans system revealed lot of information about the artists, their
perception regarding Hindutani music and the position of Khayal. Every Gharana has their
own style of rendering a Khayal and critical analysis of every Gharana which will help in
deciding the ideal structure and presentation of Khayal today. Study of Gharana also give
future guidelines and help in deciding the modifications in presentation of Khayal in future
2.9.1 Gwalior Gharana
2.9.1.1 Origin
Gwalior gharana is universally acknowledged as the parent of all the gharanas, due to their
obvious reasons for being the oldest, the largest, and one of the most permanent of all the
surviving gharanas. Their distinguishable facets make them even more celebrated in this
genre. This is a pioneer Gharana in Hindustani Classical Khayal Singing. It is supposed to
have evolved through Dhrupad Singing and also through the music of Sufi-Saints and
“Quwaal-Baches” (Qawaal-Singers). Some believe that this Gharana was created by
Natthan Pir Baksh who was patronized by Gwalior-Naresh Jayaji Rao, the king of Gwalior
State2. According to late Ustad Vilayat Husaain Khan, this Gharana originated from
Abdullah Khan and Kadir Bux Khan, who were brothers. They were deemed singers of
Khayals and were considered Ustads. They were said to hail from a village near Delhi, but
their ancestors came from Gwalior and had very close connection with the Gwalior court.
These two brothers were court musicians in the time of Maharaja Jhinkuji Rao Scindia.
After them came the two sons of Kadir Bux-Nathan Khan and Pir Bux. These two were
1 Patnaik, P, Music and Society: Multicultural Issues, p. 251-252

2 http://www.swaratarang.com/gharana.html
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schooled by their father and turned into experts in rendering Khayals. The special feature
of their rendering was the gravity and depth of their exposition. They were also renowned
for their unprecedented command over Tala. They lived in the time of Maharaja Daulatrao
Scindia. The two Brothers settled down permanently in Gwalior and trained their sons.
Haddu Khan, Hassu Khan and Nathan Khan, all first-rate singers. Gagghe Khuda Bax of
the Agra Gharana was also a disciple of these two brothers1. A number of singing styles
prevalent today are traceable to this tradition. It is not until the first half of the 19th century
that one can find mention of it in records. The founders of this gharana were Natthan and
Khadir Pir Baksh. Natthan Pir Baksh moved to the Gwalior court of Maharaja Jhinkuji Rao
Scindhia from Lucknow along with his grandsons, Haddu Khan and Hassu Khan. The latter
duo were chiefly instrumental in evolving the Gwalior style from the existing Qawwal-
Bacche tradition of Bade Mohammed Khan. Incidentally, it was Bade Mohammed Khan
who styled and popularised the khayal mode of singing, as one knows today. He was the
one who had introduced the distinguishing stylisations so typical of khayal gayaki, like the
use of aakaar (using a while developing the song-text), as also complex and intricate taan
patterns. Hassu and Haddu Khan adopted and adapted these features to create the Gwalior
gayaki. Haddu Khan had two sons - Mohammed Khan and Rehmat Khan. Both of them
left their impressions in the field, especially the latter as one can understand later. Until
this point, training in music was permeated with clannishness and parochialism. Haddu
Khan's liberal move to open the doors of music to non-family members was to bring about
the great musical revolution in Maharashtra during the first half of the 20th century. The
most famous of his Hindu disciples was Balakrishnabua Icchalkaranjikar who was
responsible for popularising Gwalior gayaki among the public in Maharashtra and
perpetuating it through a galaxy of stupendously luminous disciples like Vishnu Digambar
Paluskar, Anant Manohar Joshi, Mirsashibua and Nilakanthbua Alurmath. The
constellation of great names associated with this gharana during the latter part of the 19th
and the first half of the 20th century are Nissar Hussain Khan (1844-1916), Krishnarao
Shankar Pandit (1893-1989), Rajabhaiya Poochwale (1882-1956), Ramakrishnabua Vaze
(1871-1945), Narayanrao Vyas (1902-1984), Vinayakrao Patwardhan (1898-1975), Pt.
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India 2001, p.133-134

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Omkarnath Thakur (1897-1967), B.R. Deodhar (1901-1990) and D.V. Paluskar (1921-
1955). Among the post-Independence generation of singers, Malini Rajurkar and Veena
Sahasrabuddhe, and Ulhas Kashalkar, while largely grounded in the Gwalior gayaki, have
not faltered to imbibe much from other traditions and idioms. Yeshwantbua Joshi,
Vinaychandra Maudgalya, Sharatchandra Arolkar, L.K. Pandit and Vidhyadhar Vyas have,
for the most part, remained the unfaltering purists of this gayaki1.
2.9.1.2 Specifications of Gwalior Gharana
Gwalior Gharana Gayki is replete the profound serenity of the Dhrupad Gayaki. Singing
in multiple rhythms is a pertinent feature of Dhrupad, viz double, triple, quadruple as well
as contra-rhythm. This Gharana lays great importance on clear indication of the character
of Raga in a very first “Alaapa” i.e slow development of prominent notes. All these features
are present as in this Gharana, as also is its natural, easy and full-throated way of singing.
. In an Interview with Sahapedia online Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Saheb (Rasan Piya)
explained some characteristics of Gwalior Gharana. He told that lyrics or poetry was of
great importance and stress was given on clear pronunciation in Khayal. He told that
Gwalior Gharana Gayaki was Ashtanga Pradhan Gayaki.
Voice:
 Open-throated and bold voice production
Ragas:
 Gwalior Gayaki is inclined towards the contemporary and pure Ragas.2
 Preference for "Shuddha Raga" as against "Sankirna Raga" and "Chhayalag Raga"
Tala:
 Preference for the Simple Vilambit Laya than Ati-Vilambit laya.3
 Another noteworthy feature is repeating the refrain, thrice and then pouncing upon
the ‘Sama’ very dramatically.
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/gwalior_gharana_khayal_indian_music.html seen on
13-apr-2014
2 Bangre, A, Gwalior Ki Sangeet Prampara, 2011, P-258
3 Ibid
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 Layakari in Bol-Tanas.1
 Employment of cross-rhythm against the Tabla Theka.
Aalap:
 Long introductory Alap before the Bandish.
 They perform the Aalap mostly with aakaar or the vowel sound and afterwards
employ the words of the composition.
Bandish:
Gwalior Gharana Gayaki puts priority on compositions (Bandish). Bandish and its
proper development is prominent and is thus, laid emphasis upon. In fact, given
their rich repertoire of bandishes, they believe that many facets in aesthetically
pleasing ways. The rendition of the sthayi and antara of the bandish, or the song-
text one after another, correctly and methodically. This is only to imprint the idea
of the raaga fully in the listener's mind by contrasting the mood of the former with
the latter. Pandit Om Parkash Thaper, Exponent of Gwalior Gharana and disciple
of Pandit Balwant Rai Jaswal told researcher that rendering bandish with full
aesthetic value and Gravity are main feature of Gwalior Gharana.2
The elaboration of the raaga is referred to by the Gwalior singers as sthayi-bharna
or 'filling the sthayi'. Gravity, simplicity and sobriety, characterize their approach
to ragas.
 Systematic phrase-wise development of the Raga.
Pandit Om Parkash thaper give stress on systematic Badhat and tells the
significance that systematic Badhat is very important in development of the Raga.3
 Importance of vowels in Badhat. Vast use of Aakar. Vowels often coalesced with
words. Sharp vowels like EE and OO employed in the higher notes.

2 Personal Interview with Pandit Om Parkash Thaper at jalandhar on 24-dec-2014.
3 Ibid
87 | P a g e
 Use of Behlava or singing of the notes of the raaga in aakaar, after singing the
antara, beginning with the lower octave and concluding with the pleasing ways.
Tan Pattern:
 The Tanas are sung in ascending and descending (Aarohi and Awarohi) orders.
They are strait, plane and have great reach.
 Use of Larajdar or weighty Tana, mostly Alankarik, in Vilambit Laya before fast
Tana
 Forceful and simple Tana, mostly Sapat and Choot, produced with Vazan at a
moderately high speed.
 Abundance of Boltana.
Other Specifications:
 Compositions like Tarana, Triwat, Chatrang, and Tappa can be heard in this
Gayaki.
 Preference for Tarana instead of Thumri
 Employment of Gamak throughout. Ghamak is a cardinal grace of this Gharana.
Ghamak like Humphita, Plavita, Ahata, Ulhasita are used.
 Gravity and sobriety are important features of this Gharana1.
 Elongation of the Anunasik Svara (nasals), especially for staying on the higher
notes.
 It is not that this Gayaki high-lights only one certain aspect. It balances all different
aspects of singing. It is an eight-dimensional (Ashtanga Pradhan Gayaki) Style. It
employs Gamaka, Andolana, Kampa, Meend, Murki, Patak, Khatak, Jamjama etc.
as and when an occasion demands. It is simple and straightforward and yet it is very
scintillating. There is no exquisite artistry, yet there being a beautiful fusion of
Swara and Tala, the listener acquires complete pleasure and satisfaction.2
2.9.1.3 Eminent Artists of Gwalior Gharana
 Pandit Balkrishan Bua Ichalkaranjikar
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.135

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 Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
 Nissar Hussain Khan
 Shankar Rao Pandit
 Krishna Rao Shankar Pandit
 Rajabhaya Punchwale
 Mehndi Hussain Khan
 Bhaiya Ganpat Rao
 B.R. Deodhar
 Natayan Rao Vyas
 D.V. Paluskar
 Onkar Nath Thakur
 Vinayak Rao Patwardhan
 Veena Sahasrabuddhe
 Shashwati Mandal Paul
 Meeta Pandit
2.9.2 Agra Gharana
2.9.2.1 Origin:
Agra gharana is noted as the second wonder of Agra, only after the elegant Taj Mahal. The
founders of this gharana owe much to the dhrupad-dhammar singers, as it was from them
that the Agra gharana members bestowed the major portion of their skillfulness. However,
borrowing ingenuity from the dhrupadi singers, the Agra gharana was hugely successful in
establishing a permanent position in the musical history. Agra is the only gharana, who
boldly exhibit their dhrupadic roots1. According to Vilayat Hussain Khan Agra Gharan had
two branches. One sprang from Shyamrang and Sarasrang around 1780, and the other from
Imdad Khan around 18002. The former line was the one which produced a constant string
of masters for over a hundered years, while the latter drifted towards light classical music
like Thumri and Dadra. We shall therefore take up the first line. Shyamrang and Sarasrang
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm 16-may-15
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were supposed to be the heirs of Haji Sujan Khan. These two were expert in Alapa,
Dhruvapada and Dhamar, and belonged to Nauhar Bani, the Bani in which Tansen was a
specialist. After these two there was a stream of brilliant musicians starting from Ghagge
Khuda Bux. Ghagge Khuda Bux went to Gwalior to learn from two famous brothers Nathan
Khan and Pir Bux. He worked very hard under his teachers and after returning to Agra he
sang in front of his own people. They were astonished to hear Khuda Bux’s voice moving
over all the octaves flawlessly and smoothly. From then on, his name and fame spread all
over India1. After him came his two sons, Ghulam Abbas Khan and Kallan Khan. Both of
them were great artists. Ustad Ghulam abbas Khan was master of Alapa, Dhruvapada,
Dhamar and Khayal. He was also a very hardworking teacher. He trained three people
mainly. They were his nephew Nathan Khan, his younger brother Kallan Khan and Faiyaz
Khan, who established himself as one of the finest musicians of the century and also made
the Agra Gharana widely recognized as one of the best in the country. Kallan Khan learned
music from his elder brother Ghulam Abbas Khan. He had a naturally sweet and smooth
voice, he was also a very good teacher and had a long list of disciples. Nathan Khan
belonged to that tradition which was famous for the Nauhar Bani. One of the main
lineaments of his singing was his ati-vilambit laya (exteremely slow tempo)2.
Nathan Khan’s two sons Abdullah Khan and Vilayat Hussain Khan made a name in the
field of Hindustani Classical Music. After them Ustad Faiyaz Khan was the flag bearer of
Agra Gharana. He, from his early years, had rigorous training under his maternal
grandfather Ghulam Abbas Khan at Agra. He was gifted with a majestic yet melodious
voice. He was a unique artist as he combined most of the righteousness of a vocalist. He
was one of the very few musicians who aptly and adequately used the words of the Khayal
to enhance the theme of the composition and expressed them with apt patterns of Swaras.
His pronunciation of words was excellent; his Svara-ochaar (inflexion of notes) was
superb; his articulation of the tonal colours, very aesthetic and appealing. He knew the art
of making an impact on the audience. Khan Sahib was a great performing musician and
had a long list of outstanding disciples who distinguished themselves. Pandit Dilipchandra
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.135-136

2 Ibid
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Vedi, Pandit S.N. Ratanjankar, Bande Ali Khan, Latafat Hussain Khan, Swami
Vallabhdas1. Agra Gharana is one of the most popular and highly revered among the
various contemporary gharanas. Agra Gharana enjoys great repute in the various
contemporary gharanas of today. The Agra gharana absorbed attractive features from other
gharanas and yet maintained its own inherent characteristics. It must be remarked here that
this particular gharana pertains to vocal music only, and has no counterpart in instrumental
music, and that it has had a specific style in Dhrupad, Dhamar and Khayal2.
2.9.2.2 Specifications of Agra Gharana
Voice Quality:
Emphasis is laid on bold, full-throated and robust voice production. The gharana adopts a
kind of voice production which relies on a flatter version of the vowel sound "a"', which
makes its music agreeable to rhythmic variations and is best suited for a deep masculine
voice.
Alap:
 Singers following Faiyaz Khan's style resort to the dhrupadic nom tom alaap. Long
Nome-Tome Alap before commencing upon the Khayal composition as practised
by Dhrupadiya.
Ghamak:
 Keeping in tune with its dhrupadic origins, the singers use broad and powerful
ornamentations (gamaks), extensive glides (meends), and resonant articulations of
notes.
Khayal Gayaki:
 Dhrupad based development of Khayal.
 Emphasis on the purity of the Raga Little use of "lighter" improvisational tools e.g.
Khatka, Murki, etc.

2 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/agra_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
91 | P a g e
Importance to the Bandish:
 Similar to the Gwalior gharana, the Agra singers also emphasize the importance of
the bandish and its methodical exposition.
 Well-enunciated Bandish
 Clear and lyrical rendition of the text of the song
Raga Badhat:
 Importance of Bol-Alap
 Development on the basis of the Raga-phrases and rhythm for 'Svara-Badhat'
 Employment of Thumri-like Bol-Banav phrases in Chhota Khayal instead of long
Alap
Laya-based Gayaki:
 The singers of this gharana are also great masters over laya-kari or the rhythmic
content. In fact, laya-kari is the lasting foundation on which the singers build the
structure of the bandish. In the hands of the best exponents, the dialogue between
the singer and the tabla player often turns a dramatic event. Their tihayis are eagerly
awaited, as are their stylish ways of arriving at the sam (First Beat), by building up
anticipation within the listener.
Tana Pattern:
 Moderately fast Gamaka Tana
 Use of Jabra Tana
2.9.2.3 Eminent Artists of Agra Gharana
Agra Gharana had a galaxy of talented musicians like

 Ustad Faiyaz Khan,
 Shri Dilip Chandra Vedi,
 Sardar Sohan Singh,
 Bhaskar Rao Bakhle,
 Khadim Hussain,
 Govindrao Tambe,
 Pandit Bhaskar Bua Bakhle,
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 Ustad Ata Hussain Khan,
 Pandit Jagannath Purohit,
 Dr. Sumati Mutatkar,
 Mogubai Kurdikar,
 Durga Khote.
 Pt. S.N. Ratanjankar,
 Swami Vallabhdas,
 Dipali Nag,
 Dilip Chandra Vedi,
 Yunus Hussain Khan,
 Jagannathbua Purohit,
 K.G. Ginde
 Shauqat Khan.
 Dinakar Kaikini,
 Smt. Sumati Mutatkar,
 Shrikrishna Haldankar
 Lalith Rao
 Famous musicologist M. R. Gautam
2.9.3 Kirana Gharana
2.9.3.1 Origin:
Kirana is a village in western U.P. This Gharana claims its origin from the famous Beenkar
Ustad Bande Ali Khan1. Late Ustad Abdul Karim Khan Sahib and Ustad Abdul Wahid
Khan Saheb took this Gharana to new heights by their calibre2. The founding members of
Kirana gharana were essentially Sarangi players, which laid huge leverage in their style of
performance. However, it is Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, who can be called the most
substantial member to have contributed whole-heartedly to make Kirana gharana stand,
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India 2001, p.168

2 Kaur, D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar 2007, p.56
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where it is today. Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan can be named the proponent to reintroduce
the slow tempo (vilambit laya) in khayal once more, a fact that excessively attracted
common man towards khayal form of classical music1.” Kirana gharana can be called
unusual motley of contemporaneity and ancientness, carefully and flagrantly fused to suit
the audience of today. It is the only gharana that flourished entirely during the evolvement
of the 20th century2. According to some music scholars like Van der Meer, the ancestors
of Abdul Karim and Abdul Waheed were sarangi players. Their singing style bears the
strong imprint of the instrument. Sarangi players, who taught vocal music, placed greater
emphasis, on smooth voice production, tunefulness and sweetness of tone as opposed to
dhrupadic gharanas, which used broad and heavy meends and gamaks. By common
consent, it is held that the Kirana style exhibits the influence of both the Rudra-Veena and
the Sarangi. It was Abdul Waheed Khan, who had reintroduced the merukhand system, a
highly cerebral mode of raaga exploration that relies on the permutation and combination
of notes, into Hindustani singing, as he did the ati-vilambvit laya - the slow and meditative
tempo. Ustad Karim Khan, his sister Hirabai Barodekar and Pt. Prannath were directly
swayed by Waheed Khan's style3. His music also reflects the creative influence of the
Karnatic system, especially seen in his portrayal of swaras. Appreciably, he produced a
whole host of towering disciples like Sawai Gandharva, Ramachandra Behrebua,
Balakrishnabua Kapileshwari and Roshanara Begum who, in their turn, diffused the Kirana
legacy all over the country. Kirana gayaki evokes the aesthetic configurations of ragas in
the most stirring manner. Since it emphasized tunefulness, sweet intonation, and,
importantly bhava, the everyday public took to it almost immediately. Also, it has produced
and continues to produce a steady stream of singers who hold a commanding sway over
lay and the conversant audiences. Bhimsen Joshi, though broadly a Kirana singer, has
creatively incorporated numerous idioms from other gharanas into his gayaki. Gangubai
Hangal, Firoz Dastur, Basavraj Rajguru, Manik Verma, Prabha Atre, Pt. Maniprasad, the
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm seen on 27/05/14

2 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/kirana_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm on 27/5/14
3 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/kirana_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm on 28/5/14
94 | P a g e
duo Niaz Ahmed and Fayyaz Ahmed Khan, and Mashkoor Ali Khan are some of the
outstanding talents of this gharana to emerge on the Post-Independence scenario.
2.9.3.2 Specifications of Kirana Gharana
Voice Quality:
 A soft and sensitive voice capable of subtle tonal manipulation. Voice production
in this Gharana is very distinct. Of the two registers in human voice-lower and
upper, the upper is tirelessly developed, almost to the neglect of the lower. The
result is that most of the singers (male as well as female) of this Gharana, excepting
Bhimsen Joshiand Gangubai Hungal, have thin, piping voices with restricted range,
although they are extremely tuneful and melodious1. Vamanrao Deshpande, in his
book "Indian Music Traditions - An Aesthetic Study of the Gharanas in Hindustani
Music" has in one place described the Kirana voice- "The Kirana tone is delicate
and tender; it resembles a soft silken thread and possesses a sharp point." However,
he has also said, "In Kirana the voice emerges from a deliberately constricted throat
and has a nasal twang." This, however, it is respectfully agreed to, is not entirely
true. In fact, none of the Kirana stalwarts had or has a nasal voice, as is evident
from the available recordings of Abdul Karim Khan, Hirabai Barodekar, Gangubai
Hangal, Sawai Gandharva, Bhimsen Joshi, Roshanara Begum, Amir Khan and
Prabha Atre. As far as the voice production from a deliberately constricted throat is
concerned, it can be said that only Abdul Karim Khan had this tendency to some
extent, otherwise the voice production in the Kirana Gharana is soft and supple in
relation to the other Gharanas, although it is both natural and effortlessly full, quite
in keeping with the requirements of Khayal singing2.
More emphasis to the Swara:
 To sing the Svara as accurately as possible is what this gharana specialises in. Their
entire attention is concentrated on singing in sur, and all their practical exercises
1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India , p.170

2 http://www.ragaculture.com/gharana.html seen on 24/6/14
95 | P a g e
are directed towards achieving this1. Kirana singers often stress swara at the cost of
tala and laya.
Less importance of Bandish:
 Complete statement of the Sathayi and Antra of both Vilambit as well as Drut
Khayal, is not done by some of the renowned musicians of this Gharana, from
which one has inevitably to ascertain that not much value is given by them to the
composition they are singing2. Well-known exponents often treat the sthayi and
antara of a composition fleetingly. The bandish does not often get the kind of
cautious attention it does in the Gwalior and Agra styles3.
Badhat:
 Badhat or slow systematic development note by note, is another characteristic of
this Gharana. The students of Kirana Gharana are taught Swara-exercises involving
complicated arithmetical alterations and combinations. By practicing these
exercises they attain a commendable command over the Swaras. This is used in
Raga elaboration called Raga Badhat.
Alap:
 Alap-Pradhhan Gayaki, i.e., Style heavily relying upon Alap. Lyrical approach to
"Svara-Lagav or articulation of notes4. Use of bol-alaaps, or using of the words in
the song-text to develop melodic ideas, in the place of aakaar singing5.
Lesser Scope for Bol-Upaj or Layakari:
 The text of the composition is used very little. Hardly any bol-upaj or Layakari is
found in this Gharana6.
2.9.3.3 Eminent Artists of Kirana Gharana:
 Abdul Karim Khan,

 Abdul Wahid Khan,

3 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/kirana_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
4 http://www.ragaculture.com/gharana.html
5 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/kirana_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
96 | P a g e
 Hirabai Barodekar,
 Gangubai Hangal,
 Sawai Gandharva,
 Bhimsen Joshi,
 Roshanara Begum,
 Prabha Atre,
 Tarapada Chakravarty,
 Chhannulal Misra,
 Firoz Dastur,
 Shakur Khan,
 Basavraj Rajguru,
 Manik Verma,
 Pt. Maniprasad,
 Niaz Ahmed and Fayyaz Ahmed Khan
 Mashkoor Ali Khan,
 Jayateerth Mevundi,
 Anand Bhate,
 Sanhita Nandi,
 Pt. Kaivalyakumar Gurav.
2.9.4 Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana
2.9.4.1 Origin
The Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana (also known as the Jaipur Gharana) is a Khayal-based Gharana,
founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan in the late 19th century. His family belonged to Atrauli
near Aligarh, and later migrated to Jaipur, giving the gharana its name. This Gharana is
also nearly 150 years old. It has had assorted musicians of eminence. Some of them became
famous all over India, while others were greatly respected as very knowledgeable
musicians with very pervasive repertoires1. The Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana is the only

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intellectual and pedantic school of music that has stood its grounds with this unusual style
of presentation, and quite successfully in that. They are also hewn with intricate and
rhythmic patterns in Khayal singing. By the sole effort of Ustad Alladdiya Khan, the
Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana has also incorporated further facets to their style. This school of
music however, strictly goes by the book, with implementation of Laya and rhythm, with
elaboration, intricateness and complexity being stressed on all the three octaves1. The
Jaipur-Atrauli tradition as a Khayal Gharana came into existence during the latter part of
the 19th century and developed into a full-fledged style during the first half of the 20th
century through the laborious efforts of its founder, Ustad Alladdiya Khan. His family of
singers originally hailed from the village of Atrauli, located near Aligarh. They migrated
to a village near Jaipur and attached themselves to the royal court. This gayaki is regarded
as one of the most cerebral and scholastic of existing Gharanas, given their intricate method
of Raga rhythm and the knotty patterning of their musical phrases.
2.9.4.2 Specifications of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana:
Voice Quality:
 Full-throated voice production; much use of the chest voice.
Alap:
 Prolonged use of open-throated aakaar singing in all three octaves.
Raga Badhat:
 Predominance of Aakar in Raga Badhat. The integrated movement and progression
of swara and laya. Complex note patterns are rendered with precision and
spontaneity within the framework of a steady medium tempo. The surprising ways,
in which they swoop on the sam using all their musical and rhythmical skills, is
indeed an eagerly awaited treat. Prominence of Tana and rhythmic Behlava in the
course of Vistar2.
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm
2 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/jaipuratrauli_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
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Less Importance to Bandish:
 Generally, there are short compositions. The song-text and its articulation are only
of secondary importance to a number of singers. Note combinations using the
words, rather than the literary or semantic content of the song-text, form the focus
of their interest1.
Laya-based Gayaki:
 The Vistar portions strictly adheres to the Tala and progresses totally in relation to
its beats and sub-beats.
Bol-Bant:
 Importance of Bol-Ang and employment of Bolbant before approaching fast Tana.
Unorthrodox way of Raga Rendering:
 Some scholears profess that the Alladiya Gayaki is based upon Tana structures as
against the Alap base of other Gharana like the Gwalior and the Kirana Gharana2.
 Rendering of rare Ragas is a special feature of this Gharana3.
Aesthetics:
 Intellectual and convoluted approach to presentation with special emphasis on
aesthetics4.
Tana Structure:
 Use of elaborate ornaments and complex taans. They spiral and criss-cross against
the set framework of the tala in breath-taking manners. Employment of short
Penchdar (rolling or twisted/difficult) Tana even in Vistar portions. Alankaric and
ornamental patterned Tanas5. Unlike other gharanas, they abstain from singing
sargams or sargam taans during raaga elaboration6.
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Ragas:
 Likeness towards intricate, unique and compound ragas, rather than the simple and
popular ones. A penchant for rare (mostly Salag and Sankirna) Raga, i.e., Raga
neither commonly presented by the other Gharana nor well-known to the concert
going public at large1. Primary emphasis on aesthetics relating to the form of the
genre of the song, i.e., the artistic and intellectual variety of development of its
various components such as Vistar, Bolbant, Layakari, Tanas.
2.9.4.3 Eminent Artists of Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana
 Alladdiya Khan
 Haider Khan
 Abid Hussain Khan
 Keasrbai Kerkar
 Mogubai Kurdikar
 Nivruttibua Sarnaik
 Vamanrao Sadolikar
 Mallikarjun Mansoor
 Kishori Amonkar
 Dhondutai Kulkarni
 Ashwini Bhide Deshpande
 Padma Talwalkar
 Shruti Sadolikar
Four major Gharanas are recognised in Hindustani Classical Khayal music are Gwalior,
Agra, Kirana and Jaipur-Atrauli. Others are less pervasive, but no less enchanting, such as
Indore, Rampur, Mewati, Patiala, and Bhendi-Bazar. Brief account of these Gharanas is as
follows.
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2.9.5 Bhendi Bazar Gharana:
2.9.5.1 Origin
In the context of Bhendibazaar Gharana, the lineage can be traced to Ustad Dilawar
Hussain Khan. His three sons, Ustad Chhajjoo Khan, Ustad Nazeer Khan and Ustad
Khadim Hussain Khan (the Founders of Bhendibazaar Gharana) shifted in the year 1870
from Bijnaur, near Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai. The locality close to the Fort
area was referred to as “Behind the bazaar” by the British, which in local language came
to be known as Bhendibazaar. The trio had received training in music, initially from their
father, Ustad Dilawar Hussain Khan, and later from Inayat Hussain Khan of Rampur
Sahaswan Gharana and from Ustad Inayat Khan of the Dagar Gharana. The three brothers
developed their own style and gained reputation as singers from “Bhendibazaar” and their
style was called “Bhendibazaar Gayaki”1. Although, this school did not just find things
smoothly; one had to toil for it. And the man behind all the credits is Ustad Aman Ali Khan.
Otherwise a man of humble and reticent disposition, Aman Ali was possessed with an
extraordinary voice quality that he tried to put to full use. He was also a talented composer
with several excellent compositions, still in today's usage. He picked up the shades of
Khayal singing, thus popularising the style of rhythm and tempo during the rendition of
sargam-raaga elaboration2. Aman Ali was strongly influenced by certain aspects of
Karnatic music, especially the rendering of complex note patterns (swaraprasthas) in
aesthetically agreeable ways. He, along with Abdul Karim Khan, was largely responsible
for popularising the use of sargams during raaga elaboration3. Though not the most popular
or widely-known of Gharanas, the Bhendi Bazaar style make a noticeable impact on North
Indian classical music during the first half of the 20th century through the efforts of its
most gifted exponents like Shiv Kumar Shukla ji.
1https://saxonianfolkways.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/gharanas-of-india-the-bhendi-
bazaar-gharana/ seen on 16/6/114
3 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/bhendi_bazaar_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
101 | P a g e
2.9.5.2 Specifications of Bhendi Bazar Gharana
 Delicate Aesthetic Tonal inflexions involving quick slides from one note to another.
 Use of Merukhand method of singing notes and note combinations. The singers
incorporate the complex Merukhand permutations into their raga elaboration.
 Use of certain aesthetic ornaments imported from the Karnatic system. These are
like some short, swift and razor-sharp executions of melodic ideas during raga
elaboration.
 Sargams are sung with great aesthetic feeling and finesse. According to M.R.
Gautam, this Gharana used Sargam for the first time in Hindustani music in large
measure and popularized it. Today this has become almost a necessary feature of
Hindustani Classical music1.
 Particular stress on the proper articulation and enunciation of the words of the
Bandish.The beauty of the Swara-structure of the Khayals with particular emphasis
on the literary aspect of their texts is another special feature. The words of the
Khayal are beautifully woven into the Raga and The Tala creating a memerizing
2
atmosphere
 Rich Poetic Bandishes: Most of the compositions (Bandishes) of this Gharana are
gems of poetry and fine pieces of literature.
 Preference to Madhya Laya (medium tempo): The most significant characteristic
of this Gharana is that it specializes in Madhya Laya Khayal. The exponents of this
Gharana seldom sing Vilambit Khayals. With the Madhyalaya Khayal they do all
their Raga, Tala and Tana development3. Pt Ishwarchandra told that singing in Ati-
Vilambit laya affects the poetry of the Bandish and words loose their sense because

2 Interview with Pandit Ishwarchandra (disciple of Pandit Shiv Kumar Shukla) at
Vadodara on 22-August-2014.
3 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India 2001 p.168
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of slow tempo and also general public sometimes feel unable to connect with that
beat. 1
2.9.5.3 Eminent Artists of Bhendi Bazar Gharana
 Nazir Khan
 Chhajju Khan
 Ustad Aman Ali
 Anjanibai Malpekar,
 Prof. Shivkumar Shukla,
 Ramesh Nadkarni
 T.D. Janorikar.
 Suhasini Koratkar
 Dr. Pandit Ishwarchandra.
 Vasnat Rao Deshpande
 Master Navrang
 Dwarkanath Bhosle
 Vasanti Sathe
 Dayananda Devgandharva
 Pt. Ramesh Nadkarni
2.9.6 Patiala Gharana
2.9.6.1 Origin:
The Patiala Gharana, fundamentally a Sarangi Gharana, does not need much further
introduction, owing to the presence of the excelled Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Patiala
Gharana has come to a full circle with the untiring effort and diligence in work by him.
Patiala Gharana is well-known for its lively and instantly entertaining Gayaki. This is a
style which incorporates almost every known tool of embellishment in Khayal, making
1 Personal Interview with Dr. Pt. Ishwarchandra (disciple of Pandit Shiv Kumar Shukla)
at Vadodara on 22-August-2014.
103 | P a g e
itself immediately appealing to all types of listeners. In fact, it is Patiala Gharana who are
the pioneers in inaugurating the feisty and colourful style of singing within Khayal and the
extremely conservative air of South India1. The founders of this gharana were the brothers
Ali Baksh and Fateh Ali, popularly known as 'Aliya-Fattu'. They had learnt music from
Miyan Kallu, a well-known sarangi player in the Patiala court, who also taught them
dhrupad. The Aliya-Fattu pair, also popularly called 'Karnail' (Colonel) and 'Jarnail'
(General) owing to their relentless powerful way of singing extremely fast taans, were
popular performers. Patiala Gharana achieved its all-round distinction and excellence in
the hands of its greatest and yet-to-be-surpassed genius, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
Bade Ghulam was initially trained by his father and later by Miyan Kallu. Yet Bade
Ghulam belongs to that class of extraordinary singers, the dazzle of whose native gifts by
far exceeded what he received from the tradition he inherited. Bade Ghulam is also credited
with fashioning the Punjab-Ang style of singing thumri. His proficiency in light classical
forms, more than his other innate gifts, paved the way for his deification in the hearts of
innumerable numbers in this country. Following his death, Bade Ghulam's gifted son,
Munnawar Ali Khan, continued the legacy until his death in 1989. Today singers like
Jagdish Prasad, the Pakistani representatives, Fateh Ali, Ammant Ali and Hameed Ali
Khan, Ajoy Chakravorty and the dazzling duo Javaad and Mazhar Ali Khan continue the
Patiala legacy2.
2.9.6.2 Specifications of the Patiala Gharana:
Voice Quality:
 Mellifluous and resonant voice production. The voice culture of Patiala Gharana
employs the use of strong and full throated voice. Its speciality lies in the use of
rich, sweet, melodious and intricate use of notes in three octaves. The use of notes
in analytical style is expressive. There are the minimal differences which
distinguish this style from other gharanas.

2 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/patiala_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm 27/7/14
104 | P a g e
Bandish:
 Short and artistic Khayal compositions. Compositions are the basis of a Gharana
which show the nature of the gayaki. The very crisp short and impressive
compositions are enriched with Khatka, Murki, Kana, Swar, Drut Laya and very
intricate Tanas. The use of Firat and Sapaat Tanas enhances the beauty of this style.
These compositions are a style of its own which is totally different from other styles
and Gharanas1. A fluent and enormously appealing style of singing that emphasis
the correct articulation of swaras. This gives the style a sensuously aesthetic touch.
The use of the catchy and intricate tappa singing style is evident in fast figures, as
are the use of swift and volute sargam patterns. Their sargams retain an exhilarating
swing and astonishing mellifluousness.
Sargam:
 The use of sargam is presented in a very special manner in harmony with the nature,
aesthetics and time of the raga. Due to its basis in Punjab, the Punjabi folk has
influenced the gayaki of Patiala gharana. The use of these elements makes this style
distinct from other gharanas2.
 Equal emphasis given to Swara and Laya.
 Proficiency in singing light classical forms like Thumri, Dadra and Bhajan3.
 Free use of all types of improvisational tools, e.g. Khatka, Murki, Gamak, Meend,
Zamzama, and so on
 Marked flexibility of voice with the capacity to exploit a variety of tonal shades
 Use of Behlava and Sargam during the transition from the Badhat stage to the Tana
stage
 The Patiala taans are extremely enthralling, given the briskness and vigour with
which they are executed. In fact, it has been called a taan-bazi style, because it uses
a variety of fast figures and ornamentation for the sake of captivation.
 Employment of a wide range of Tala
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/56/features_patiala_gharana.htm seen on 27/7/14

2 http://www.indianetzone.com/56/features_patiala_gharana.htm seen on 27/7/14
3 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/patiala_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm 27/7/14
105 | P a g e
 Alankarik, Vakra (zigzag) and Phirat Tana in abundance
 Employment of occasional Shadja Parivartan or tonic transposition techniques
during Sargam Tana1
2.9.6.3 Eminent Artists of Patiala Gharana:
 Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan

 Ustad Ali Baksh Khan
 Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
 Munawwar Ali Khan
 Abbas Ali Khan
 Ajoy Chakraborty
 Akhtar Hussain
 Asad Amanat Ali Khan
 Begum Akhtar
 Ghulam Ali
 Hamid Ali Khan
 Jagdish Prasad
 Johar Ali Khan
 Kaushiki Chakrabarty
 Kumar Mukherjee
 Meera Banerjee
 Naina Devi
 Parveen Sultana
 Raza Ali Khan
 Mohammad Hussain Sarahang from Afghanistan
1 http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/hindustani-gharanas.html seen on 28/7/14
106 | P a g e
2.9.7 Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana
2.9.7.1 Origin:
Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, was established by Inayat Hussain Khan, the son-in-law of

Haddu Khan of Gwalior fame. He was the son of Ustad Mehboob Khan, a Khayal singer
and Veena player of the Rampur court. Inayat Hussain Khan was a disciple of Bahadur
Hussain Khan and he also learnt from his father-in-law Haddu Khan. This gharana is
regarded as an offshoot of the Gwalior Gayaki. In later years, singers also imbibed aspects
of the Agra gharana into their gamut. Inayat's brothers were beenkars in the court of the
Nawab of Rampur. Inayat, though trained in the Gwalior idiom, also picked up dhrupad
and settled down in the Rampur court. He belonged to the village of Sahaswan and thus
the style earned the joint names of the place of his origin and that of his patron's domain1.
In the 20th century it was the acclaimed Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan who carried the
tradition forward. Trained by two doyens of the Rampur style, initially by Haider Khan
and, later, by Inayat Khan Mushtaq also picked up Dhrupad-Dhamar from the celebrated
Wazir Khan of Rampur court. He had wide sweep and ranges. His command over all the
technical aspects of khayal gayaki made him the envy of every contemporary musician, as
did the wide range and the sheer force of his voice. Nissar Hussain Khan was another
reputed singer this gharana, produced in the 20th century. An acknowledged master of the
tarana, his technical virtuosity has been applauded by countless.
2. 9.7.2 Specifications of the Rampur style:
 Rampur Sahaswan is an off-shoot of the Gwalior gharana it is quite natural that it

shares its major characteristics with it.
 A full-throated and clear voice freely moving in all the three Saptaka.
 Methodical rendition of the sthayi and the antara keeping with the Gwalior heritage.
 Bandish is rendered very carefully. Words of the Bandish are taken with great care
and emotional content was produced using words of the Bandish.
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/rampursahaswan_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
107 | P a g e
 Use of the lyrics of the song in all stages of the vilambit khayal in preference to
aakar. The words of the song, moreover are presented in the natural order and over-
emphasis on any single word is generally avoided.
 Use of exquisite techniques beautifully.
 Rampur Sahaswan emphasis on taankari in preference to bol-bant and layakari.
 Extensive use of bol-alaap (raaga elaboration using select phrases from the song-
text) to evoke the appropriate rasa associated with raaga.
 Dexterity in singing different varieties of taans worth great clarity, power and
speed.
 Mastery over tarana. In fact, the singers of this gharana are considered the masters
of this form. They have a unique style of rendering Tarana1. Rampur-Sehasvan
Gharana has specialization in Taranas. Bahadur Hussain was a great composer of
Tarana.
2.9.7.3 Eminent Artists of Rampur Sehasvan Gharana
 Ishtiaq Hussain Khan

 Ghulam Mustafa Khan
 Sulochana Brihaspati
 Sarfraz Hussain Khan
 Ghulam Sadiq Khan
 Shanno Khurana
 Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan
 Ustad Nisar Hussain Khan
 Pt. Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze
 Khadim Hussain Khan
 Chajju Khan
 Nazir Khan
 Ghulam Taqi
 Hafeez Ahmed
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/rampursahaswan_gharana_khayal_indian_music.htm
108 | P a g e
 Maqbool Hussain
 Ustad Rashid Khan
2.9.8 Mewati Gharana
2.9.8.1 Origin
India has a great heritage of Hindustani classical singing family hood (Gharanas). Mewati
Gharana is one of them. Over the years this Mewati Gharana has made its own exceptional
place in Hindustani classical music arena. The Mewati Gharana was founded in the late
19th century by Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan Sahib who was born in a small village in Mewat.
Since then, 6 generations have contributed for the progress of Mewat Gharana. The Mewati
Gharana acquired its name after the region from which its founding exponents hailed: the
Mewar region of Rajasthan. Unlike other Gharanas which has a family lineage, Mewati
Gharana Gayaki has a distinct quality. The Gharana has a mix of both hindu and muslim
influence in its music. This Ghrana gives stress on the mood (Rasa, Bhava) of the Raga.
This is why this school is considered to be Bhava-pradhan. Mewati Gharana singing is
hugely influenced by Ghamak and Meend style of singing. That is why this style of Gayaki
is also Bhakti pradhan and sShabd pradhan. Mewati Gharana has a history of more than
161 years and it still continues to contribute to the vast Hindustani classical music heritage
of India1. The Mewati gharana is one style that shot into fame during the second half of the
20th century to the fame of its most celebrated singer, Pt. Jasraj. Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan,
who hailed from the Mewat region in Rajasthan, is regarded its progenitor. Ghagge passed
on his legacy to two disciples, Nathulal and Chimanlal. Nathulal's legacy passed on to his
nephew, Motiram, father of Pt. Jasraj. Though they share the same musical inheritance,
their technical approaches and vocal gifts are on vastly dissimilar planes. Of the three,
Jasraj's style is highly ornate and lyrically polished. He pays painstaking attention to the
words in the bandish - their meaning and poetic content and arouses their dominant moods
using the framework of the raga. He, more than anyone, brought the Haveli Sangeet sung
in many Khayal Gharanas, Indian Music Vaishnava temples in North India to public
attention through his resonant voice, without any assistance. The Mewati Gharana gives
1 http://www.panditjasrajacademy.com/about.html
109 | P a g e
importance to developing the mood of the raga through the notes forming it. Its style is
Bhava Pradhan. The meaning of the text is equally given importance1.
2.9.8.2 Special features of Mewati Gharana:
Although it has ancestry in the style and trends of the Gwalior gharana, the Mewati Gharana
gayaki has some distinct qualities.
 Voice quality: Bold and clear voice capable of going freelhy in all the three Saptaka.
 Importance to Nom –Tom Alap.
 Importance to Both Sargam and Aaakar.
 Layakari
 Extensive use of ornamental techniques like Meend, Ghaseet, Ghamak. Dr.
Ashwini Kumar Singh an exponent of Mewati Gharana told Mewati Gharana add
full emotions in the performance byadding Meend and other ornamental
techniques, which make it very attractive. 2
 Lyrics of the Bandish are taken care of. Emotional content was developed through
words of the bandish3
 Importance to Mood (Rasa, Bhaava).
 Ragas: Jaiwanti Todi, Din ki Puriya, Odhav Bageshree, Khanaj Bahar and Bhavani
Bahar.
2.9.8.3 Eminent Artists of Mewati Gharana
 Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan

 Pandit Nathulal
 Pandit Motilal
 Pandit Jyotiram
 Pandit Maniram
 Pandit Pratap Narayan
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm
2 Conclusion of Interview with Dr. Ashwini Kumar Singh an exponent of Mewati
Gharana at Vadodara on 03-sept-2014.
3 Kaur, D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar, 2007, p.132
110 | P a g e
 Ustad Munawar Ali Khan
 Ustad Gulam Kadir Khan
 Pandit Jasraj
 Sanjeev Abhyankar
 Rattan Mohan Sharma
 Dr. Ashwini Kumar Singh
 Dr. Shobha Abhyankar
 Sandeep Ranade
 Jatin Pandit & Lalit Pandit
There are some other Gharanas also, which are prevalent in Khayal singing style of
Hindustani Music, like Indore Gharana, Delhi Gharana, Sham Chaurasi Gharana, Banaras
Gharana etc. These also have contributed a lot to Hindustani Music.
2.10 Merits & Demerits of Gharana System
2.10.1 Merits of Gharana System
1. The Gharana system aided in the preservation of Hindustani Classical Music. Due to
rigorous practice and limitless Guru Worship the formal education always remained
connected to music. Had Gharanas not been there, the Music tradition would not have
survived the middle ages and the British rule. It is because of Gharanas that our musical
art and heritage has been preserved to this day1.
2. In a way Gharanas have acted as flag bearers for the development and protection of our
music heritage and tradition.
3. Gharanas produced lot of eminent artists. Under one guru for years produced great artists
of Indian Classical Music.
4. In Gharanas Guru had the responsibility of his pupils due to which he do his best to give
his students what they needed to become good artists.
5. Generally Gurus/Ustads used to take their studentswith them to events and concerts
which provide them experience and pratical tips for good performance also they get
opportunity to listen to eminent artists there.

111 | P a g e
6. Good Gurus/Ustads introduce their students from stages so as to provide them stage.
They gove chance to their able students to perform on stages.
2.10.2 Demerits of Gharana System
1. Narrow mindedness among the Gharanas was a big demerit. Initially Gharanas were
terribly closed groups either reinforced by marriage or bonded by blood ties. All musical
secrets were then zealously guarded. Outsiders were not permitted to watch or even audit
a music training session. It was till the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the
20th century, the students who didn’t share a blood-tie with gharanedar musicians were
refused to be taken or taught1.
2. Gharanas emerged from the competition and narrow mindedness prevalent among the
artistes and singers of middle ages. The competition emerged to achieve the topmost level
of musical field. This ranged from being the best in the field to being a well-paid and well
respected court singer in the courts of maharajas and Nawabs of the time. This divided the
musical development into various classes which were based on a pretext that was
distributive and divisive in nature. Due to this a holistic development of the Indian music
as a whole was never allowed or given a chance.
3. Gharanas originated and grew in the various royal kingdoms present during the middle
ages. The diplomatic relations and the tension among these kingdoms also had adverse
effect on the music as well. The court singers were the property of the kings and were not
allowed to sing anywhere without their permission. The singers of respective kingdoms
faced each other in various competitions time and again. This was a divisive practice and
it never let them be together and inculcated a feeling of competition and rivalry among
them. They praised and tried to show superiority of their own Gharana whenever possible2.
These things lead to jealousy among artists of various Gharanas. The division was to this
extent that the artistes did not even allow their disciples to listen to music of other
Gharanas. This led to isolation of Gharanas from each other.
1 http://www.indianetzone.com/35/gharanas_hindustani_vocal_music.htm seen on
12/08/14
112 | P a g e
4. The music Gurus were more interested to keep the knowledge of the Gharanas within
the families and the interest of teaching people outside the Gharanas was quite less and was
even forbidden. The disciples were made to go through tough tests and their lives were
spent in an aimless and goalless way. A big part of their lives sometimes went into do the
Guru Sewa1 without any musical progress.
2. Specialization only in one technique only. In the 20th century the Gharana system had
an adverse impact on the standard of musicianship. Advancements in communications
made it a professional imperative for musicians to have as broad of a background as
possible. The secretive nature of the Gharana system coupled with the fact that Gharanas
tended to specialize in only one technique or approach. This was inconsistent with modern
pedagogic and professional requirements2.
3. Gharana System made artists very much conservative in nature. Artists were generally
seen hiding things from artists of other Gharanas as they don’t want to share their
knowledge with other artists. Artists were of the opinion that other Gharana can surpass
them. As this was very important for one Gharana to maintain their supremacy among the
society so that they may get good job opportunities among kings and Nawabs of that time.
This resulted in more and more conservativeness among the artists.
4. Confusions in Ragas: Non-Standardization of Raga System: However, in the Gharana
system, two Raga bearing the same name could have completely different features, and
hence completely dissimilar moods. Gharanas were responsible for creating confusion in
Raga System. As sometimes we find that different Gharanas use different notes (Swaras)
in Ragas with same name. For Example: In Raga Rageshwari some Gharana use both
Nishada (Ni, ni) while some Gharanas sing it with only Nishad Komal (ni). The
consequence of all this was that the system of Raga became quite confusing, since it lost a
good deal of the standardization of earlier times. Same is the case with many other Ragas
also. There were contradictions regarding Ragas all the time among different Gharanas, all
Gharanas claimed to be right in rendering the Raga, but never sat together to sort out the

2 http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/gharana.html Dated 16-May-15
113 | P a g e
issues regarding confusions regarding Raga form and structure. This led to confusions
among the young learners regarding Ragas.
6. Rigidity and Isolation:
The enforced isolation gave the musicians no alternative but to vigorously practice
whatever they knew and to develop ever greater refinement and delicacy. This tradition
went on for a few generations. There was an effort to perfect one’s style of music with
assiduous practice. This was necessary in order to face, survive and conquer opponents.
Continued isolation produced musical isolation; rigid faithfulness to one’s style led to
addiction and ultimately almost to obsession. Diehards were created. Limitations of
tonality, rhythmic control, vocal range and aesthetic imagination were made into virtues,
glorified and sedulously maintained1.
7. Bad effect on Music Education:
By looking at the history we get to know that the Nawabs and rulers also had a big role to
play in the formation of Gharanas. The Mughal rulers that occupied areas in India were
music lovers. They gave little importance to singers and artistes in their courts. From time
to time they organized music functions and competitions and the winners were rewarded
handsomely. This led to an increase in the rate of development of music. Singing now
became a full-fledged career choice and being a royal singer became the life goal of the
aspiring singers. The elite singers started teaching their children to be better singer so that
they could lead a luxurious and comfortable life. All this led to an increased competition
for the royal posts. Due to this the sharing of music knowledge became obsolete and played
a big role in creation of Gharanas2.
Limiting the music knowledge to own gharana, family, and successors, showing superiority
of own Gharana, abasing the other Gharanas, jealousy, not teaching other students
properly, and various other things became a part and parcel of the Gharana system. These
bad things became characteristics of Gharana system and exist even today, although on a
milder level.
1Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.128

2 Kaur, D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar, 2007, p.123-24
114 | P a g e
At the end resesrch scholar conclude that by critical analysis of singing styles of various
Gharanas it is seen that Khayal is under continuous process of change. Eminent artists of
various Gharanas contributed a lot in developing Khayal and its structure. Lot of things
were added time to time in structure as well as presentation of Khayal. Khayal always had
scope for new innovations and modifications. Khayal, in accordance with its meaning
Imagination, goes according to the thinking process of the artist. One can’t draw fixed lines
for Khayal. No doubt Khayal structure and its presentation must follow all the rules and
regulations of Hindustani Classical Music but still it has full scope for further innovations.
Responsibilty to develop an ideal structure and ideal way of presenting Khayal is on our
shoulders. Taking good aspects of all the Gharanas and discarding the other aspects we can
think of an ideal structure of Khayal which will be suitable for majority of listeners. In this
modern world, when the whole world is coming to one place, Arts and culture is mingling
with one another, Science and technology is making world very small place, it is neede to
see the Khayal from modern perrspectives so that Khayal can be made popular in the
maases.
*********
115 | P a g e

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Chapter 2

Khayal & Gharana:

2.1 Meaning of Khayal

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.42

2.2 Evolution of Khayal

1 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.176

2.2.1 Amir Khusro:

Amir Khusro, an Indo-Persian scholar, was an accomplished musician as well as a

1 Sharma, S, Khayal Gayan Shaili Viksit Ayaam, p.79

1 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.177

2.2.2 Sultan Husain Sharque:

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.43

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.44

1 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.182

1 Swami, P, A Historical Study of Indian Music, p.185-186

2.2.3 Sadarang and Adarang

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.45

2.3 Structure of Khayal

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.45-46

1Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.55

2.3.1 Vilambit Khayal and its Presentation

1 Text accompanying Video Cassette ETHNO VC 1, Khyal: Classical Singing of North

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.59

1 Text accompanying Video Cassette ETHNO VC 1, Khyal: Classical Singing of North

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.62-63

2.3.2 Drut Khayal and its Presentation

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.64-65

1 Text accompanying Video Cassette ETHNO VC 1, Khyal: Classical Singing of North

2.4 Aim & objectives of Hindustani Music viz Khayal:

2.5 Khayal: The complete singing style

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.75

2.6 Gharana System: Introduction

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.77

1 Kaur, D, Samajak vigyan Pattar, p.18

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.127

1 Kaur, D, Samajak Vigyan Pattar, p.18

2.9.1 Gwalior Gharana

1 Patnaik, P, Music and Society: Multicultural Issues, p. 251-252

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India 2001, p.133-134

1 Bangre, A, Gwalior Ki Sangeet Prampara, 2011, P-258

 Pandit Balkrishan Bua Ichalkaranjikar

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.135

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.135-136

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, 2001, p.14

Agra Gharana had a galaxy of talented musicians like

2.9.3 Kirana Gharana

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India 2001, p.168

1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm seen on 27/05/14

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India , p.170

 Abdul Karim Khan,

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.169

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.166

1 Gautam, M.R, The Musical Heritage of India, p.168

2.9.5.3 Eminent Artists of Bhendi Bazar Gharana

1 http://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm seen on 26/7/14

1 http://www.indianetzone.com/56/features_patiala_gharana.htm seen on 27/7/14

 Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan

1 http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/hindustani-gharanas.html seen on 28/7/14

Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, was established by Inayat Hussain Khan, the son-in-law of

 Rampur Sahaswan is an off-shoot of the Gwalior gharana it is quite natural that it

 Ishtiaq Hussain Khan

 Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan

2.10.1 Merits of Gharana System